Our Winemaker Benoit Pineau was born and raised near Tours, France in the wine appellation of Jasnières, and it was while working there alongside his grandfather he discovered his passion for viticulture and fermentation science. He has broad education and experience in the field having degrees in oenology from Blanquefort in Bordeaux and viticulture and oenology from the University of Toulouse. 

Being passionate about the production side of the wine business, he decided to focus his knowledge on Bordeaux varietals by initially working in France, Australia and California. He first arrived in Virginia as an intern at Kluge Estate Winery (Charlottesville, VA) in 2005, and then moved to Napa Valley's Cain Vineyards (Saint Helena, CA) in 2006. 

The Virginia countryside and its potential for growing grapes and producing world-class wine called him back to the East Coast in 2008. Since then, he has managed the vineyards and winery operations for over a decade at Pollak Vineyards.


Benoit Pineau

Winemaker

Owners Margo and David Pollak created Pollak Vineyards because they shared a passion for wine. They love the rhythm of the vineyard and they love evenings when they can share wine with friends. For David, this venture drew upon his experience in the late 1970s with vineyards along the Russian River in Sonoma. This was followed with the establishment of one of the first wineries in the now famous Carneros region of the Napa Valley. In Virginia, the Pollaks saw the potential to create great wines from well-sited and meticulously maintained vineyards. They sought the experience of other vintners and growers to seek an ideal site and then applied the best agricultural and winemaking practices.

David sees the same spirit in Virginia that he witnessed in the early days of the California wine industry, and he foresees similar success here.

David & Margo Pollak

Owners

Pollak Vineyards is a family-owned winery founded in 2003 with the purchase of a 98-acre farm west of Charlottesville and Crozet, Virginia. Today there are 36 acres under vine of French vinifera used to make estate grown wine that has the finesse and balance of the traditional French varietals.

Our tasting room and patio offer views of the vineyard, the pond and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is a scenic setting to enjoy a glass of wine and some of the best of Virginia's wine country.

Pollak Vineyards

United States

Winemakers

Benoit Pineau

Winemaker

David & Margo Pollak

Owners